Miami/Ft. Lauderdale vacation in December with a 7 year old
November 23, 2015 8:26 AM Subscribe
Something like St. Augustine but South of West Palm Beach.
I've scoured through Metafilter and didn't find much in the way of South Florida destinations with kids, although St. Augustine looks delightful according to some of the posts I have read but that is way too far north for this trip. We need to visit relatives in Palm Beach and also would rather head south to ensure warmer weather during late December. I have never cruised and don't have a strong desire to, so a Disney cruise is off the table. I have been to South Beach and enjoyed the Deco and Lincoln street prior to kid and don't recall if it would have kid friendly hotels or resorts. Places like the zoo or kid-friendly museums would be great but also somewhere with cool arcades, mini-golf, stuff like that, too. Seaquarium doesn't sound like much fun based on what I have read, so ideas on must see destinations would be helpful. Hotel on the beach or a mighty fine resort preferred.
I've scoured through Metafilter and didn't find much in the way of South Florida destinations with kids, although St. Augustine looks delightful according to some of the posts I have read but that is way too far north for this trip. We need to visit relatives in Palm Beach and also would rather head south to ensure warmer weather during late December. I have never cruised and don't have a strong desire to, so a Disney cruise is off the table. I have been to South Beach and enjoyed the Deco and Lincoln street prior to kid and don't recall if it would have kid friendly hotels or resorts. Places like the zoo or kid-friendly museums would be great but also somewhere with cool arcades, mini-golf, stuff like that, too. Seaquarium doesn't sound like much fun based on what I have read, so ideas on must see destinations would be helpful. Hotel on the beach or a mighty fine resort preferred.
If your child likes mermaids they might be into the swimshow* at the Wreck Bar at the Yankee Clipper in Ft. Lauderdale (now called the B Ocean Resort, though it will never be anything but the Yankee Clipper in my heart).
The hotel itself is really nice, on the main strip of beach, a good central location and has a private beach. You can also swim in the heated pool the mermaids use. Next door there is a cheaper but still nice Best Western.
*You can check out videos on the Facebook link to determine if this is too mature for your kid, but I see familes at the swimshow all the time.
posted by Brittanie at 9:26 AM on November 23, 2015
The hotel itself is really nice, on the main strip of beach, a good central location and has a private beach. You can also swim in the heated pool the mermaids use. Next door there is a cheaper but still nice Best Western.
*You can check out videos on the Facebook link to determine if this is too mature for your kid, but I see familes at the swimshow all the time.
posted by Brittanie at 9:26 AM on November 23, 2015
There are a few things in West Palm Beach if you are in the area visiting family, anyway, that may be worth checking out.
The Palm Beach Zoo and the South Florida Science Center & Aquarium are next door to each other in West Palm Beach. The Science museum has a life-size realistic-looking dinosaur exhibit until April that is supposed to be really cool.
Is your daughter into Playmobil? There is a Playmobil Funpark in WPB that is pretty awesome and is the only one in the USA. Admission is only $1 per person, so it's a super cheap activity. It's basically a ton of tables set up with a ton of Playmobil sets where kids can play with them as long as they want. Not super interesting for parents, but kids love it.
Lion Country Safari is a great drive-thru zoo west of WPB, but it's a little pricey. Check Groupon for a discount, I know they have one going on right now. You can feed giraffes!
Check out Boomers in Boca for mini-golf/go-karts/bumper cars/bumper boats.
The Miami Children's Museum is supposed to be great, as is the Miami Zoo. If you stayed in North Miami Beach (away from the drunken revelry of SoBe) and made a day trip down to the Miami Zoo, and maybe also stopped by Coral Castle, hung out at the beach and visited the Children's museum, that would be a nice couple of days. There are plenty of family-friendly restaurants in Miami Beach, just be aware that service is terrible, there will be people daydrinking everywhere, and food is insanely overpriced.
posted by gatorae at 11:47 AM on November 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
The Palm Beach Zoo and the South Florida Science Center & Aquarium are next door to each other in West Palm Beach. The Science museum has a life-size realistic-looking dinosaur exhibit until April that is supposed to be really cool.
Is your daughter into Playmobil? There is a Playmobil Funpark in WPB that is pretty awesome and is the only one in the USA. Admission is only $1 per person, so it's a super cheap activity. It's basically a ton of tables set up with a ton of Playmobil sets where kids can play with them as long as they want. Not super interesting for parents, but kids love it.
Lion Country Safari is a great drive-thru zoo west of WPB, but it's a little pricey. Check Groupon for a discount, I know they have one going on right now. You can feed giraffes!
Check out Boomers in Boca for mini-golf/go-karts/bumper cars/bumper boats.
The Miami Children's Museum is supposed to be great, as is the Miami Zoo. If you stayed in North Miami Beach (away from the drunken revelry of SoBe) and made a day trip down to the Miami Zoo, and maybe also stopped by Coral Castle, hung out at the beach and visited the Children's museum, that would be a nice couple of days. There are plenty of family-friendly restaurants in Miami Beach, just be aware that service is terrible, there will be people daydrinking everywhere, and food is insanely overpriced.
posted by gatorae at 11:47 AM on November 23, 2015 [1 favorite]
Best answer: In general, I'd recommend Miami for variety, but if you are visiting folks somewhere in Palm Beach County, you really don't want to be staying farther south than Fort Lauderdale. At the best of times it takes over an hour to get from Miami to West Palm Beach proper, and it isn't exactly a pleasant drive. Fort Lauderdale is more reasonable as long as you make sure to avoid driving between the three counties before 10ish in the morning and between 4 and 7:30 in the evenings.
You can always make a day trip to the children's museum and, if your kid is into classic arcade games, Arcade Odyssey, and whatever else is suggested down south. The science museum is closed until they new location is completed sometime next year, so that's out anyway.
The only downside to staying up north is the 5ish degree temperature difference if you do want to hit the beach.
FWIW, just today I saw that there is a brand new indoor go-kart/laser tag/arcade place in Fort Lauderdale along 95. The Swap Shop in Sunrise also has an arcade, along with several drive in movie screens, so that could make for a fun time one evening.
posted by wierdo at 5:10 PM on November 23, 2015
You can always make a day trip to the children's museum and, if your kid is into classic arcade games, Arcade Odyssey, and whatever else is suggested down south. The science museum is closed until they new location is completed sometime next year, so that's out anyway.
The only downside to staying up north is the 5ish degree temperature difference if you do want to hit the beach.
FWIW, just today I saw that there is a brand new indoor go-kart/laser tag/arcade place in Fort Lauderdale along 95. The Swap Shop in Sunrise also has an arcade, along with several drive in movie screens, so that could make for a fun time one evening.
posted by wierdo at 5:10 PM on November 23, 2015
Best answer: For some reason this didn't occur to me earlier, but you really can't miss Butterfly World in Coconut Creek.
In addition to the butterfly-filled greenhouse, which is itself pretty awesome, they also have a good sized collection of parrots and an aviary with a bunch of parrotlets in it that you can feed by hand. If you're game, they will totally perch on you, and they are acclimated enough to humans they don't bite.
There's also a museum of sorts with specimens of hundreds of different species of butterfly, which is interesting enough in itself to warrant a trip, but isn't the visceral fun of the live butterflies and birds.
I appreciate the whole thing as an adult, but I bet your seven year old would really love it. I can't recommend it highly enough.
posted by wierdo at 9:48 PM on November 26, 2015
In addition to the butterfly-filled greenhouse, which is itself pretty awesome, they also have a good sized collection of parrots and an aviary with a bunch of parrotlets in it that you can feed by hand. If you're game, they will totally perch on you, and they are acclimated enough to humans they don't bite.
There's also a museum of sorts with specimens of hundreds of different species of butterfly, which is interesting enough in itself to warrant a trip, but isn't the visceral fun of the live butterflies and birds.
I appreciate the whole thing as an adult, but I bet your seven year old would really love it. I can't recommend it highly enough.
posted by wierdo at 9:48 PM on November 26, 2015
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posted by waving at 9:19 AM on November 23, 2015